TUSKEGEE, Ala. – Until 1940, African-Americans were barred from flying for the United States military. The rationale was the same one Chauncey Spencer had heard from the airport operator in his hometown of Lynchburg, Va.: “They didn’t teach colored to fly because they didn’t have the intelligence.”

That exchange is recounted in an account of the Tuskegee Airmen by Bennie J. McRae Jr. titled, “Lest We Forget.” The article traces the early days of Black aviation, the formation of the famed Tuskegee Airmen and the shattering of the myth that Blacks could not fly airplanes or distinguish themselves in combat.

I was invited to give the keynote address at the “Chief” C. Alfred Anderson Banquet here as part of the Negro Airmen International, Inc. (NAI) Memorial Day Fly-in. Many of the Tuskegee Airmen are dead; those still living are in their 80s. And anyone spending time with them will see that not only are they intelligent, they were pioneers that forced the country to respect their intelligence and their valor.

But it didn’t start out that way.

The Negro Airmen Association was incorporated on August 16, 1939 in Chicago to open the doors of aviation and aeronautics to Blacks. Many of the founders – including Chauncey Spencer – had traveled to Chicago to attend the Coffey School of Aviation, one of the few flight-training programs open to African-Americans at that time.

Black pilots also fought on another front.

“A few months prior to the incorporation, the organization had undertaken a most profound and optimistic mission,” McRae writes. “With borrowed funds and donations, two members were chosen to take a goodwill tour to stimulate interest in the ‘first national Negro airshow to be held in Chicago,’ and stop in Washington to communicate with lawmakers regarding inclusion of African-Americans in the government sponsored flight training and other aviation related programs. Enoch P. Waters Jr., a member of the organization and city editor of the Chicago Defender, also suggested that the tour include a stop in Washington, D.C. to urge Congressional representatives to push for inclusion of the Negro in the Army Air Corps.”

In an “Akeelah and the Bee”-like gesture, Ed and George Jones, brothers who controlled the numbers racket in Chicago, donated $1,000 to help rent a Lincoln-Paige bi-plane.

The Civilian Pilot Training Act was passed on June 27, 1939. Eventually, three historically Black colleges were selected to train Black pilots: North Carolina A&T, West Virginia State College and Tuskegee Institute. Though its program was the last of the three to become operational, Tuskegee became the most famous training ground.

“March 25, 1940 should be remembered and embedded in the minds of everyone,” Benjamin J. McRae Jr., the Tuskegee Airmen historian wrote. “On that date George A. Wiggs arrived in Tuskegee to administer the standard written examination required of all Civilian Pilot Training students. After administering and grading the exams, he revealed that the Tuskegee students had passed every subject. They had become the only southern school with a 100 percent pass rate, and had done so by a wide margin in comparison to Georgia Tech, Auburn and North Carolina. Prior to that time in the seven southern states, no college had a record of 100% passing on the first examination.

“The average score was 88 percent. One third of the students scored above 90 percent. The lowest score was 78 percent and the highest scores were recorded by Charles R. Foxx, who averaged 97 percent, Alexander S. Anderson with 96 percent, and Elvatus C. Morris with 95 percent.”

On March 7, 1942, the first class of 12 African-American aviation cadets and one student officer, Capt. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., graduated from the Tuskegee Army Air Field program.

“Overcoming enormous social pressures and vast obstacles, these African-Americans became the nation’s first black military pilots,” states literature distributed by the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site, operated by the National Park Service. “The successful training of these pilots at Tuskegee coupled with the United States’ entry into World War II, led the military to expand its African-American aviation program.”

During war, the Tuskegee Airmen became legendary.

In 1943, the squadron saw combat duty in North Africa and Italy. Flying more than 200 missions, the 99th Fighter Squadron became the only squadron during World War II to never lose one of its bombers to enemy fire.

No one could credibly question their intelligence.

“Many who had formerly opposed the group now acknowledged their ability to fly in combat, and included them in more vital missions,” a National Park Service leaflet notes. “More importantly, the Tuskegee Airmen earned the respect of several bomber crews, who began to depend on their skillful air coverage.”

Against all odds, the Tuskegee Airmen symbolized the height of excellence.